GreenBuilding.com

Childs Room – Nursery

Building a Healthy Nursery Environment – A step at a time

Since World War II at least 75,000 new synthetic chemical compounds have been developed and released into the environment; fewer than half of these have been tested for the potential toxicity to humans, and still less have been assessed for their particular toxicity to children. (www.simplepureclean.com)

As parents our only desire is to provide a healthy, safe and secure environment for our children. We may not be able to provide a 100% chemical free environment, however, with a little care, a lot of reading labels and an awareness of what we are putting into children’s spaces, we can offer them a healthier future.

Task

Natural or ‘green’ products

Exposure type

Exposure Burden

Notes

Cleaning

Lemon Juice
Vinegar
Baking Soda

None
None
None

Repainting

Use low VOC (if you can smell it is not good for you)

Off gassing

Low

ventilate area when using

Floor or wall coverings

Low VOC paint
Bamboo, wood

Off gassing

Low
None

Keep area well ventilated if applying paint

Cribs, Cribs, dressers, etc.

Solid wood or used
furniture

Off gassing in used furniture should already be finished

None

Mattresses, crib bumpers

Unbleached Cotton or fabric w/padding

Toys

Cloth, wood, non-plastic materials

Building a Healthy Nursery Environment – Checklist

Site Preparation

Remove furniture to another area or cover to protect from dust and debris

Open windows and doors for increased ventilation

Sweep or vacuum and dispose of all debris

Wipe down all surfaces with clean damp cloth

Cleaning Products – Read all labels carefully

Do not mix and match different products you may end up producing a more toxic brew

Lemon juice or baking soda are a natural addition to your bucket of water

White vinegar is also a natural cleanser and can be used in this application as well as laundry

Wall and ceiling applications

Primer, paints and stains should be no or low VOC.

Remember if you can smell it, it includes VOCs. Also, the darker the color more VOC’s are needed to pigment the paint.

Check for existing lead based paint on surfaces before sanding or scraping

Continue to keep good ventilation in the area when applying these products.

Floor Coverings

Wood floors are the easiest to keep clean and do not hold dust or debris for posterity

If carpeting is desired, look for natural woven fibers, recycled plastic carpet, or area rugs that can be taken away and cleaned.

Furniture

Crib, Chests, Drawers, Shelving and Mattresses

New pieces should be solid wood products, not fiberboard, chipboard or particleboard.

New pieces made of fiberboard or chipboard can be mitigated by ensuring that all exposed surfaces are encapsulated by a low VOC paint or sealer. (remember the holes for pegs and adjustments, a minimum of 3 coats are necessary).

Used pieces several years old, acquired at a consignment shop, shared by a friend or found at a garage sale, have typically already off gassed.

Federal law requires treatment of clothing for toddlers to be fire resistant. This means chemical treatment. To lessen the off gassing of these products, you should wash them before their first use. It usually takes 4-5 washings with a non-phosphorus soap to break down these chemicals.

Purchasing items from consignment or other similar shops, used and reused have already off gassed.

Alternatives to plastic would be toys stuffed with natural fibers, and wooden toys .

Pacifiers, nipples, plastic bottles and bags, if used should not be heated over flame or in a microwave. The plastic will breakdown and leach into the liquid being heated. Liquids should be warmed before filling containers.